Labour Day to be observed today

LAHORE - Like other parts of the world, the Labour Day will also be observed in Pakistan on Saturday (today) to remember the struggle of Chicago labourers, and renew the pledge for the rights of workers. On the Day, labourers throughout the world show solidarity with each other, and make commitments that an injury to one would be regarded as injury to all (labourers). In Pakistan, the minimum wage has been set at Rs 6,000 per month, which is rarely available to all. In the private sector, the wage varies, and mostly it is less than the minimum set. An economist while working out monthly expenditures of a minimum wager fails to solve the riddle how his family can pass a month with that money. Perhaps, the government also does not have the answer while the gap between the haves and have-nots continue to widen. For the working class, the situation is very tough which is evident from the growing number of suicides, and crime rate that have a direct bearing with the poverty. The government departments, trade unions, social organisations will arrange workshops, seminars, conferences, discussions, besides holding rallies to mark the Day. Despite the fact that May 1 is marked as Labour Day internationally, the situation of labourers in Pakistan remains miserable and pitiable even after 62 years of its independence, said Railway Workers Union Vice-President Shaukat Ali. Lahore Bar Association General Secretary Qasim Hassan said that the Constitution addresses all the issues relating to male, female and even children in working class about their working, contract of employment, protection of young workers, labour courts, but the plight of the workers is still unchanged and is miserable. He said that even the very fundamental rights of workers were not being ensured to them. The leaders of Working Women Organisation, while remembering the Day, staged a demonstration here on Friday wherein it raised voice for meeting demands of the labourers. The demonstrators demanded of the government to allow establishment of women workers unions. They said that the issues like eight-hour duty timing, satisfactory remuneration, regular employment, labour laws and trade unions still needed to be addressed by the government. A trade union leader said that the workers all over the country, whether belonging to agriculture, weaving, garments, sports, leather, paper, printing, kiln or any other, were at the mercy of industrialists and owners. He said that official data on the labour force and child labour was unreliable as child labour was rampant at massive proportion. In City, among activities on the day include an annual convention to address the issues regarding carpet sector. Federal and provincial ministers for Labour will participate in the programme. All Pakistan Local Government Workers Federation will stage a rally while National Trade Federation, other labour and trade unions will take out rallies.